Jainism by Vividus

Author(s): Ramnik V Shah
Publisher: Ramnik V Shah Canada

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designating 'jaina' means one who speaks benefience.'
It is this basic attitude of equality and nobility which has found expression in their concept of non-violence in Jainas' entire thought and religious conduct. It may be said that even in the domain of Philosophy, the 'maybe-ism' i.e. Syadvada, Spatabhangi, Anekantavada (by whatever name you call it) is the result of this attitude. Any insistence on one's own way of statement as absolute, complete, and ultimate truth is inimical to the attitude of equality.
Jainas have formulated various sciences to explain full implication of non-violence. Admitting plurality of souls, Jainas establish non-violence on the basis of their intrinsic equality. It is possible that the doctrine of the intrinsic identity of the souls establishing their equality and therefore non-violence to life is a later evolution.
Another science is the science of Karma. All distinctions between one self and another are not intrinsic but adventitious. As when there is no karma, equality is fully manifested in all life (Jiva). A lower or higher stage of existence, as well as the existence in full freedom of karma, depends upon karma itself, which in reality consists of ignorance and the passions of attachment and hatred. Self is not known to not-self because of ignorance known to Jainas as 'darshanamoha' (perversion). It is because of this perversion born of ignorance that the values of things get either predisposed or defiled and the passions of attachment and hatred created. In the two kinds of karma, this is known as "Bhava Karma" as different from "Dravya Karma," the former attracting the subtle material atoms always surrounding the self to give them a definite form and the latter, these actual groups of material atoms thus formed viz the karmic body which follows the self in the next birth to constitute a new body. From the "Nishchaya" ( substance ) point of view, the association of karma with the soul is beginningless, but from "Vyavahara" (modification) point of view, the association as a
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